Status:	Schlussbericht
Datum:	23 FEB 1945
Zeit:	02:25
Flugzeugtyp:	Douglas DC-3-277
Fluggesellschaft:	American Airlines
Kennzeichen:	NC18142
Werknummer:	2138
Baujahr:	1939
Betriebsstunden:	17296
Triebwerk:	2 Wright G-102
Besatzung:	Todesopfer: 2 / Insassen: 3
Fluggäste:	Todesopfer: 15 / Insassen: 19
Gesamt:	Todesopfer: 17 / Insassen: 22
Sachschaden:	Zerstört
Konsequenzen:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Unfallort:	9 km (5.6 Meilen) SW of Rural Retreat, VA (USA)
Flugphase:	Während des Fluges (ENR)
Betriebsart:	Inländischer planmäßiger Passagierflug
Flug von:	Washington (unknown airport), DC, USA
Flug nach:	?
Flugnummer:	9

Unfallbericht:
American Airlines Flight 3 en route from New York to Los Angeles departed at 21:39 on February 22, 1945. Departure from Washington had been at 00:11 on February 23. The last radio message from the flight was at 02:05 at 4,000 feet over Pulaski, Virginia. The DC-3 continued, passing through rain and clouds and encountering considerable turbulence. The airplane flew over mountainous terrain and struck the wooded summit of Glade Mountain at approx 3910 feet amsl.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to properly plan the flight and remain at a safe instrument altitude under existing conditions. A contributing cause of the accident was the company's laxity in dispatching and supervising the flight."

Informationsquelle:
» CAB File No. 875-45
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com